Plastic pressurized container and dispenser



Patented Aug. 10, 1954 PLASTIC PRESSURIZED CONTAINER AND DISPENSER RalphD. Cooksley, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor, by

mesne assignments, of one-half to Packaging Corporation,

ration of New Jersey Application September 24, 1953,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a plastic pressurized container of a type adated to contain a liquid or gas under pressure and having a manuallyopleirable valve to dispense the fiuid therefrom at W1 It is an objectof the invention to provide a pressurized container which hassubstantially all It is another object of the invention to provide aplastic pressurized container wherein the plastic parts will beassembled by hand without mg from the end of the cap and manuallydepressible by a finger to permit the release of the fluid past theprotruding stem of the valve element upon the same being depressed andwheremember.

It is another object of the invention to pro vide a plastic pressurizedcontainer adapted to be filled with the use of a special filling headthat may dispense the pressurizing gas, such as Freon, without the needfor refrigeration to maintain the stability of the gas while passing itto the container.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a plastic pressurizedcontainer which is of simple construction, durable and so proportioned ato For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had tothe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the container with the cap andits valve parts asscmbled thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the container with the cap broken awayto show the interior construction of the valve.

Pressure Union, N. J., a corpo- Serial N 0. 382,171

tion as when the container is being filled.

Generally, the invention comprises a valve stem of different diametersassembled in the cap such a way that when the valve stem is completelydepressed or in the filling position there is a sufiioiently largeorifice to permit rapid and low pressure filling; after the containerhas been filled and the valve stem is in the operating position fordispensing, the middle diameter or metering portion is located in thechoke area of the plastic cap with a very close tolerance. The cover capor cover is so designed that during the dispensing action the middlecircumference of the valve stem cannot be depressed out of the chokearea and, therefore, the product can be dispensed in very smallquantities with a short and highly atomized display pattern which isvery desirable for personalized products.

Referring now to the figures, Ill represents a round container bodyportion having a bottom it and an internally threaded open upper end 12.Adapted to be secured to the internally threaded open upper end is a capI 3 having a depending externally-threaded sleeve portion [4. Upon thecap being assembled with its parts, it is permanently secured to theupper end of the container i it by cement so as to prevent the same frombeing loosened and to render the container fluid-tight. The threads alsoavoid the neces sity for any jig or fixtures to hold the parts togetheruntil the cement sets, reduces assembly costs, and adds immeasurably tothe strength of the container. The exterior of the cap I 3 is serrated,or ribbed, as indicated at IE to provide a good hand grip to tighten thecap upon the container body It. Both of these parts are formed of rigidthermoset plastic material.

The cap it has a central opening [6 extending therethrough andterminating in a depending threaded sleeve portion I! to which a bottomfunnel and spring retaining member l8 or adaptor is threadedlyconnected. This makes an easy hand assembly and makes it unnecessary tocement the adaptor due to the equal pressure inside the adaptor and thecontainer which would tend to prevent transmission of the fluids betweenthe adaptor and the container. Thi retaining member i8 is also ofplastic and has a hole 99 extending through its lower end and through areduced diameter portion 20 to which there is fitted a piece of flexibleplastic tubing providing a syphon tube 2| that leads to the bottom ofthe container l0 and which has a hole 22 in its lower end to prevent theend of the syphon tube from ever being blocked ofi by being bottomed onthe bottom of the container.

Extending upwardly from the top of the cap 13 is a nozzle projection 23which forms the body of the valve itself and is an integral part of thecap and eliminates soldering, menting a valve as such into thecontainer, thereby reducing construction costs. 23 has a tapered upperend Zlwith an'aperture 25 therein. This aperture 25 is of a diameteradapted to receive an intermediate portion 26 of a valve element 21.This aperture 25 is of adiameter made to receive valve portions closetolerance to provide the choking or metering effect of the valve when inthe dispensing position. This valve element has a-rubber 'seal-- ingsleeve 28 surrounding the portion at the I root of the same that has itslower edge fitted into an annular groove 2c in an enlarged diameterportion 38."

Withinthe dependingsleeve member i8 a spring 3! preferably made ofstainless steel and which bears against bottom enlargement iii ofthe'valve element 21. The valve element has a depending stem 3! to helpkeep the spring 32 centered.

Extending upwardly beyond the portion 2B of the valve element 2'! is astem 33 of reduced diameter which i depressed into the aperture to forma large entrance into the container in the manner as shown in Fig. 3 andby a special pressure filling head indicated generally at A.

An over cap or cover member formed of a flexible plastic or rubber isindicated at 34 and is snapped over the nozzle 23 and fitted in tightsealing relationship due to a flange 23' which snaps into a groove onprojection 23. A large flange 35 fits into an annular recess 35 in thetop of the cap 13. The top of the over cap 34 base thin membrane 3'5that is pliable and can be depressedby a finger, as illustrated in Fig.2. However, the over cap 34 is designed in such a way that the stemcannot be depressed far enough to get-portion 26 on the stem out ofaperture 25 "in the cap. This maintains the metering of the productwhenbeing dispensed. The stem 33 of the valve-element engages the undersideof this membrane 3'? and accordingly when the membrane is pusheddownwardly against the action of spring 3! to cause the rubber seal 28to be lowered and allow the product to pass through the choke area ofthe valve. Upon release of the finger, the valve element will bereturned so 'that'the portion 25- andthe rubber ring or sleeve 28 willpositively seal off the aperture 25 from the underface of the taperedend'oi the'nozzle 23. Since the over cap or cover member is duringthefilling'operation, it ispossible to depress the small diameter of thestem into the choke area and remove the choke portion of the stem out ofthe way. The-valve element 21 is made of nylon or'other similar plasticand is molded to close tolerance.

On the over cap 34' is a small nozzle element 38 formed of hard plasticand having an aperture 39 through which an atomized spray will beprojected upon depressing the valve element 2?. This nozzle element 38has a flange'de engaging the outer face of the cover cap 34. This smallnozzle element 38 is formed of hard plastic so that the aperture '39 isnot closed.

It should now be apparent that there has-been.

provided apressurized container wherein allof fabricating or ce- Thenozzle" depressed, the valve element is not on the container 4 the partsare of non-corrosive material each performing a special function thatmakes it so possible to place under pressure in this type of containerliquids or gasses that can be dispensed with a controlled spray patternand is not subject to the many corrosive hazards now found in the metalcontainers.

As the aerosol industry grows, and especially in the direction of thecosmetic trade, it will be possible, using this type of container, tofurnish a wide variety of shapes and colors which will mean a freedom ofdesign to indicate the individual products that are prevalent today froma pachagingstandpoint in the cosmetic industry. A great-many cosmetichouses have refrained from exploiting the possibilities in the aerosolfield as they refuse to put their product, as they say, in a beer can.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A pressurized container and dispenser comprising a hollow bodyadapted to retain and receive fluid under pressure, a nozzle extendingfrom one end of the hollow body externally thereof and a concentrictubular member extending from the interior of said body and registeringwith the nozzle and having a reduced tubular member extending through tothe bottom end of the hollow body, said nozzle and tubular memberproviding a valve chamber, said nozzle having an aperture in the endthereof, a valve element slidable in the valve chamber and aperture anda compression spring in the tubular member engaging the valve element tourge the same toward said aperture, said valve element having a meteringportion adapted to snugly fit the aperture in the nozzle and a sealingsleeve surrounding said valve element and engageable with thenozzleabout the inner end of the aperture to provide sealing engagementtherewith upon the spring urging the valve element toward the nozzle,said valve element having a reduced diameter stem extending outwardly ofthe metering portion and of the nozzle, said reduced diameter stem beingslidable through the aperture to provide an enlarged opening throughwhich the fluid may pass to fill the hollow body, and an over capsecured to said body concentrically about the nozzle thereof, said overcap having a depressible top engageable with the reduced diameter stemof the valve element and a spray discharge nozzle on said over cap.

2. A pressurized prising a container end, a cap secured container anddispenser combody having a threaded open to said threaded open end in afluid tight manner, said cap having an integral nozzle portion and adepending sleeve portion having external threads, a depending springretaining member threadedly connected to the threads of the dependingsleeve portion and having a bottom opening, a syphon tube connected tothe lowerend of the retaining member and extending into the bottom orthe container body, said nozzle portion having an aperture through whichfluid may be dispensed, a valve element having a metering portionslidably fitting to the aperture with close tolerance, a compressionspring supported in the spring retaining member, and engaging said valveelementto urge the. sameand the metering portion. thercoj'into saidaperture, a sealing sleevesurrounding a part of the portion fitting theaperture and engageable with the nozzle portion at the inner end of theaperture to normally seal off the same, said valve element having a stemof a reduced diameter extending outwardly from nozzle beyond themetering portion, said stem being slidable through the aperture toprovide an enlarged opening through which the fluid may pass to fill thecontainer, and an over cap surrounding the nozzle portion and havingtight sealing engagement therewith, said over cap having a depressibletop engageable with the stem of the valve element, and said cap having afluid dispensing opening.

3. A pressurized container and dispenser as defined in claim 2 and saidcap having an annular recess about the nozzle portion, said over caphaving a flange filling, said annular recess and an internal circularrib, and said noozle portion having an annular groove receiving saidcircular rib.

4. A pressurized container and dispenser comprising a container bodyhaving an internally threaded open end, a cap having a dependingexternally threaded portion engaging with the internally-threaded openend of the container body in tight sealing engagement therewith, saidcontainer body and said cap being formed of plastic, said cap having anozzle portion With a tapered end, the tapered end being adapted toreceive a pressure filling head, said cap further having a dependingexternally-threaded sleeve portion, said nozzle and said sleeve portioncommunicating with one another and providing a valve chamber, a plastictubular member having an internally-threaded upper end engaging with thedepending threaded sleeve portion and having a reduced lower end with anopening therein, a syphon tube connected to the reduced lower end andextending into the bottom of the container body, tion having operable inmetering por said valve e1 portion with low the met rounding th lowerend in and abuttin 0 the valve chamber and engaging arged portion of thevalve element g the reduced portion of the tubular member, said valveelement having a reduced diameter stem projecting outwardly from themetering portion and from the tapered end of the nozzle, and an overcaphaving a large bottom flange, said first-mentioned cap having an annular recess receiving said bottom flange, said over cap having adepressible top portion en- References Cited in the file of this patentNumber UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Henrich Oct. 20, 1903 Mobley Jan.18, 1927 Rotheim Jan. 3, 1933 Benson Oct. 9, 1951 Henchert Dec. 30, 1952

